Concerts featured for shorebird festival

Two musical concerts are featured for the 22nd annual Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival held May 8-11. Kicking off the festival is the 11th annual On the Wing: Celebrating Birds and Spring with Poetry and Song at 7 p.m. May 8 at the Homer Theatre. Featuring life-long Homer musician Sunrise Kilcher-Sjoberg and friends, On the Wing combines original poetry with music, performance art pieces and slides. Poets are invited to present their original bird-related work during the concert. Proceeds benefit the Shorebird Education and Conservation Fund. Admission is $10. Tickets are on sale at the Homer Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center.

At 8 p.m. May 9 at the Mariner Theatre, singer-songwriter Ruthie Foster brings blues, soul and jazz to the stage. A 2009 Grammy nominee for best contemporary blues album, she was named Best Female Vocalist at the 2013 Austin Music Awards and Female Blues Artist of the Year in the 20th annual living blues awards. Tickets are $15 youth, $25 Homer Council on the Arts members and $35 general admission, available at the Homer Council on the Arts, at the chamber during the festival and at homerart.org.